Electric vaporizer



SEARCH ROGM Si? OR 2 9 450 144 8 Q ,Oct. 5, 1948. J. ROBINSON ELECTRICVAPORIZER Original Filed May 25, 1942 R S m wm Wm m I B Patented Oct. 5,1948 ELECTRIC VAPORIZER,

Joseph Robinson, New York, N. Y.

Original application May 25, 1942, Serial No. 444,360. Divided and thisapplication June 21, 1944, Serial No. 541,321

3 Claims.

This application is in part a division of my copending application,Serial No. 444,360, filed May 25, 1942, now Patent No. 2,366,753, whichwas itself carved out of my application Serial No. 264,358 filed March27, 1939, now Patent No. 2,283,952. The divisional subject matter isshown in Figure 16 of my application Serial No. 264,358, and in Figures1, 3 and of this application.

My invention relates to electric Vaporizers of the hand type forgenerating hot medicated vapors for inhalation in relieving head colds,sinus infection, catarrh and other afflictions of the upper respiratoryregions. Among the objects is to simplify and improve the heater,container and applicator unit." and support therefor, shown in mycopending application Serial No. 433,380 filed March 4, 1942, now PatentNo. 2,358.349. In that construction the support for the heater,container and applicator unit is a stand containing a verticallydepressible switch actuated by pressing down on the "heater, containerand applicator unit causing it to move vertically on the stand (to whichit is loosely fitted), whereas in the present improvement the support isa long, graceful hollow handle having a simple thumb actuated laterallyflexing switch arranged therein, the heater, container and applicatorunit being firmly, though removably, supported on the handle. In thecopending structure the heater and container are locked together and areremoved from the one-piece applicator as an assembled unit when it isdesired to place in the container the medicament to be vaporized. If thecontainer of the copending structure is hot, its removal is not simple,whereas with the present improvement the container is never removed fromthe applicator except for repair, Hence, whether it is hot or cold neednot be considered. The improved applicator being in two parts, the upperor nasal part 2 is removable at will to clean the container or to placea medicament therein. The permanent assembly of the heater and containerin the base of the applicator is not for this purpose disturbed.Associated with these-improvements is the novel arrangement of theresistance coil III in the heater ceramic ll whereby the terminal screwsl2--l3 may be advantageously positioned, and the novel mounting of theswitch blades -2! in the handle. These features are shown in originalFigure 1 of my copending application Serial No. 444,360, filed May 25,1942, and in Figures 1, 3 and 5 of this application. Other advantagesand objects of my invention will appear from the following descriptionand are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is avertical section, approximately twice size, through my improvedvaporizer;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the heater, container and applicator unitshown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the heater shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the handle B with the heater, container andapplicator unit removed;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional detail of a modified method of mountingthe switch blades in the handle, and

Figure '7 is a plan view of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings: My improvement comprises the heater,container and applicator unit" A wedgingly but removablymounted on thehandle B. The unit includes a base I and a nasal piece 2 removablymounted and frictionally held in an annular seat on the upper end of thebase I as shown in Figure 1. The nasal piece is provided with a sleeveor skirt 3 by which the currents of air that enter the vents 4 oninhalation are directed down into the container C where they entrain thevapors from the medicament and carry them up through the nasal piece 2into the nasal passage of the user, the currents of air being heated inthe journey. The container C is suitably secured permanently in the baseI by molding it and its retaining flange 5 in place when the base isformed, or by other satisfactory securing means. The heater Dis anchoredin the base I by a lock washer 8 provided with one or more prongs I thathave a tight press fit with spaced vertical ridges or ribs 8 formed onthe inner wall of the base I of the applicator A, a shoulder 9 beingprovided as a stop for the prongs 1 when they are pressed into retaininposition. The heater D includes the usual resistance coil Ill suitablywound in ways in the upper face of the heater ceramic II. The ends ofthe coil are anchored under terminal screws 12-]! a novel feature ofwhich arrangement is that the screws are equally laterally from, andclose to, the vertical axis of the heater, a suitable insulating disc l4being interposed between the coil and the bottom on the container C.This desirable arrangement of the screws is obtained by counter-sinkingthe heads of the screws until they lie, as shown, safely below the coil,and by passing the lead wire I5 of the inner end of the coil downthrough the central small opening IS in the heater and winding it aroundthe screw I2 and under the securing washer and nut l1. Arranging thescrews in this novel manner permits the plug of a standard electricrazor cord to be passed over the unthreaded lower ends of the screws todirect current through the coil l and vaporize the medicament in thecontainer C in case the handle B is mislaid or the switch assemblytherein is out of order. Removal of the plug will, of course, break thecircuit thus formed.

The handle B is preferably, though not necessarily, of one piece and isprovided with an inter annular seat l8 for receiving the switchassembly. The assembly includes a separator E comprising a single pieceof insulating material or a plurality of insulating washers l9 havingspaced slots therein through which the lower perforated ends of theswitch blades -2l are pressed, a stop 22 being formed on a wall of thehandle to align the separator and blades in the handle, and with theequally spaced terminal screws l2-I3, whilst serving also to prevent theseparator turning in the handle. The blades are positioned vertically inthe separator by the off-set portions 23 which act as stops, and theassembled separator and blades are positioned vertically in the handle Bby the annular seat I 8 aforesaid. The blades 202| are centrally ribbedat 24 to wedgingiy fit tightly in slots in the separator of suflicientwidth for economical manufacture. The ends of the blades which extendthrough and below the separator are perforated or are otherwise arrangedto receive the ends 25 of the usual electric cord F extending into thehandle B. A modification of this means for anchoring the blades 20-2| inthe handle is shown in Figures 6 and 7 and consists in arranging slots26 in opposite sides of the inner walls of the handle, and quite nearthe top of the handle, into which slots the lower perforated ends2'I--28 of the blades are pressed, such ends being U-shaped in crosssection as shown, or ribbed as at 24 in- Figures 1 and 5, to tightly fitin the relatively wide slots 26.

The upper end of the handle B is closed by a plain or artistic closure29 of insulating material pressed tightly against an annular shoulder 30after the switch and electric cord have been assembled therein. Theclosure is perforated in line with the outer ends of the blades 20-21 toreceive the lower unthreaded ends of the terminal screws |2|3. Thesescrew ends extend substantially into the handle with screw I2 constantlyin resilient engagement with the blade 20, and with blade 2| only whenthe blade is pressed against it through the medium of the switch button3|. Blade 20 is bowed at 32, or is otherwise arranged, to constantly andresiliently bear against the handle and the screw l2, as shown. Thehandle terminates at its upper end in an enlarged head 33 which tapersdownwardly and outwardly complementarily to the taper of the ridges orserrations 8 of the "heater, container and applicator unit A wherebywobbling and accidental dislodgement of the unit from the handle isprevented. The serrations aid in dissipating the heat from the heater Dthat otherwise would accumulate in the handle and in the lower portionof the base I of the heater, container and applicator unit A. For likepurpose the housing 34 in which the heater is mounted is larger indiameter than the heater to avoid direct contact of the heater with thewalls of the base I.

My improvement provides an electric vaporizer of the type described inwhich the heater, container and applicator unit is uprightly mounted 'onan elongated handle when it is desired to vaporize the contents of thecontainer, and is removed therefrom if desired for transport and useindependently of the handle B, the heater and container beingpermanently mounted in the applicator and the applicator having aremovable nasal tip to facilitate filling the container.

What I claim is:

1. An electric vaporizer comprising in combination, an elongated hollowhandle, an electric cord and pressure actuated switch assembly in saidhandle, a heater-container-applicator unit into the bottom of which saidhandle removably projects to support said unit and to bring said switchand electric cord assembly into circuit with said heater, saidheater-container-applicator unit including a base and being adapted tobe carried by said handle for use thereon or to be removed therefrom asa unit and transported and used independently thereof, said heater andcontainer being insulated by said base, means for permanently lockingsaid heater and container in said base with the heater engaging thebottom of said container, said locking means having direct engagementwith said base, and a nasal part mounted on said base above saidcontainer for directing the vapors, said nasal part being removable fromsaid base to permit access to said container while the container remainsin said base.

2. An electric vaporizer comprising in combination, a handle, acontainer for the substance to be vaporized mounted on said handle, aheater engaging said container, an electric cord and switch bladeassembly in said handle, and means for positioning and anchoring saidblade in said handle, said means comprising a plurality of perforateddiscs pressed tightly on the lower part of said blade and adapted tofirmly engage the inner walls of said handle, said blade being ofisetabove said discs to form a stop for the discs and to position the bladevertically in said discs, said electric cord being secured to said bladeat a point below said discs.

3. An electric medicinal vaporizer comprising a supporting handle, anelectric circuit connected to said handle, a heater-container-applicatorunit having a socket portion for removably receiving an end of saidhandle to support the said unit, an electrical heater contained withinsaid unit, releasable electrical connections carried by said handle andheater to connect said heater to said circuit when the unit is carriedby the handle, a container carried by said unit in proximity to saidheater to be heated thereby, and a nasal inhalation element removablycarried by said unit, whereby the unit may be used while in position onsaid handle or separately, as desired, and the nasal inhalation unit maybe removed from the unit to permit access to the container while theunit is in position on said handle or removed therefrom, as desired.

JOSEPH ROBINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,723,093 Strit Aug. 6, 19292,000,988 Robinson May 14, 1935 2,151,719 Robinson Mar. 28, 19392,197,840 Robinson Apr. 23, 1940 2,227,662 McHarg Jan. 7, 1941 2,358,349Robinson Sept. 19, 1944"

